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25 best things to do in Luxor — bank by bank, day and night

Most things to do in Luxor are a ticket and a short ride away. Tombs and temples fill the West Bank mornings, Karnak and the museums the East Bank, and the Nile and Luxor Temple's lights take care of the evenings.

Valley of Kings
750 EGP (about $14)
Karnak Temple
600 EGP (about $11)
Felucca at sunset
from about $29
Time needed
2–4 days

Updated October 21, 2026

Sphinxes lining the processional avenue beside Luxor Temple
Sphinxes lining the processional avenue beside Luxor Temple Photo: Marc Ryckaert (MJJR), CC BY 3.0

The short answer

  1. Best overallFull-Day Shared Tour to West and East Banks4.62,233 reviewsfrom $30GetYourGuide

    Both banks in eight hours with an Egyptologist — the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut and Karnak — and more than 2,000 reviews. Entry tickets are extra.

  2. Best for photosHot Air Balloon Ride over Luxor Relics4.81,873 reviewsfrom $88GetYourGuide

    The most-reviewed sunrise balloon flight over the West Bank temples and fields. It is the one Luxor activity that really does need a booking.

  3. Best value2-Hour Private Sunset Felucca Sailing on the Nile4.9405 reviewsfrom $29GetYourGuide

    A private felucca for two hours at sunset, rated 4.9 from 400+ reviews, for less than the price of a Karnak ticket and a taxi.

  4. Skip it ifYou only have one day

    Don't try to tick off this list. Take a full-day tour of both banks and add a felucca at sunset.

What are the best things to do in Luxor?

Luxor works on a simple rhythm: West Bank tombs and temples early, before the heat; East Bank temples and museums in the afternoon; the river and the lit-up monuments in the evening. Ticket prices below are the official foreign-adult fees on the ministry's booking site, checked 21 October 2026, with dollars at about 53 EGP.

If you have… Do this Rough cost Read more
One day Both banks with a guide, felucca at sunset from about $30 + tickets Full-day tours
Two days One bank per morning, Luxor Temple at night tickets about $45 Luxor tickets
Three days Add a sunrise balloon and the quieter West Bank balloon from about $63 Balloon flights
Four days or more Add Dendera & Abydos or Edfu & Kom Ombo from about $65 Day trips

The most-booked things to do in Luxor

US-dollar prices come from each platform's own feed and were checked on October 21, 2026. Dates and group size change them — the booking page has the final price.

Things to do on the West Bank

West Bank sites open at 6:00; last entry is 5 pm in summer and 4 pm in winter.

1. Go into the tombs of the Valley of the Kings

The standard 750 EGP ticket (about $14) covers three tombs from those open that day; Tutankhamun and Seti I cost extra. Shared half-day tours start from about $23. See our West Bank tours guide.

2. Climb the terraces of Hatshepsut's temple

The queen's mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari rises in three terraces against the cliffs. Entry is 440 EGP (about $8), and almost every West Bank tour stops here.

3. Stop at the Colossi of Memnon

Two seated statues of Amenhotep III by the main road — all that stands of his vast temple. There's no ticket, so it's a five-minute stop on every tour.

4. Spend an hour at Medinet Habu

Ramesses III's temple has some of the best-preserved painted reliefs in Egypt and a fraction of the crowds. Entry is 220 EGP (about $4); private tours that pair it with Deir el-Medina and the Queens start from about $74.

5. See the Valley of the Queens

Smaller tombs of queens and princes, with bright paintwork, for 220 EGP. It's the natural second West Bank morning once you've done the kings.

6. Visit the workers' village and the Tombs of the Nobles

Deir el-Medina housed the craftsmen who cut the royal tombs, and their own small tombs are vividly painted. The Tombs of the Nobles nearby are ticketed by cluster and show daily life — fishing, harvests, banquets.

7. Walk through the Ramesseum

Ramesses II's mortuary temple and its fallen colossus inspired Shelley's "Ozymandias". Entry is 220 EGP, and it's often quiet in the late morning.

8. Fly over the West Bank at sunrise

A hot-air balloon flight drifts over the temples and sugar-cane fields at dawn. Sunrise flights with hotel transfers start from about $63 on Headout and about $70 on GetYourGuide.

9. Ride or cycle through the villages

The West Bank is still farmland, and bikes rent cheaply near the ferry landing. Booked options include breakfast on a horse farm from about $24 and cooking with a village family from about $54.

10. Take a quad bike to the desert edge

Afternoon quad rides cross the fields to the desert below the Theban hills, usually timed for sunset. All three listings cost about $100, and the ratings vary a lot — see our quad and desert safari guide.

Sugar cane on the West Bank — the farmland between the river and the tombs
Sugar cane on the West Bank — the farmland between the river and the tombs Photo: Marc Ryckaert (MJJR), CC BY 3.0

Things to do on the East Bank

11. Lose an afternoon in Karnak

One of the largest temple complexes ever built, with the 134 columns of the Great Hypostyle Hall. Entry is 600 EGP (about $11), last entry 4 pm; skip-the-line tickets start from about $14 on GetYourGuide and $19 on Headout. See our East Bank tours guide.

12. See Luxor Temple in the center of town

Luxor Temple is on the Corniche, a short walk from most East Bank hotels. Entry is 500 EGP (about $10) and the last entry is 7 pm, so it can be your afternoon or your evening visit.

13. Walk the Avenue of Sphinxes

The 2.7 km processional way between Karnak and Luxor Temple reopened in November 2021. You can see long stretches from the street; the ends inside both temples are covered by their tickets.

14. Spend two hours in the Luxor Museum

A compact, high-quality collection of statues found in and around Thebes, with an evening session from 5 pm. Entry is 400 EGP (about $8) — more in our museums, carriages and walks guide.

15. Learn how mummies were made

The Mummification Museum on the Corniche shows the tools, canopic jars, coffins and amulets of the 70-day embalming process. At 220 EGP it fits easily into an evening walk.

Things to do on the Nile

16. Sail a felucca at sunset

Two hours under sail as the sun drops behind the West Bank hills. Private boats start from about $29 on GetYourGuide and $25 on Headout — see our felucca guide.

17. Sail to Banana Island

A classic felucca outing of about three hours to an island of banana and other fruit plantations, with tea on arrival. It's an easy half day with children.

18. Cruise to Aswan

Three or four nights on the river between Luxor and Aswan, stopping at Edfu and Kom Ombo. Four-day cruises from Aswan to Luxor start from about $450; our Nile cruise guide covers both directions and the smaller dahabiya boats.

Things to do in Luxor in the evening

19. Watch the Sound & Light Show at Karnak

The English show is at 7 pm and costs $20 on the official site; platform tickets with transfers cost more. Details on our Sound & Light page.

20. See Luxor Temple lit up

After sunset the temple is floodlit and noticeably calmer. In winter you get about two hours of darkness before last entry; in summer, almost none. More in our Luxor at night guide.

21. Dine on a felucca

Some private feluccas serve dinner on board after sunset. Listings start from about $86 for about three hours with hotel transfers, but review numbers are still thin.

22. Walk the souk and the Corniche

The old souk, a few streets inland from Luxor Temple, is shaded and mostly pedestrian; the Corniche is the evening promenade. A guided horse-carriage tour of the souk costs from about $12.

Things to do beyond Luxor

23. Visit Dendera and Abydos

Two of the best-preserved temples in Egypt, north of Luxor. Dendera alone takes about five hours from about $65; both in one long day take about ten hours, from about $94 private. See our Dendera and Abydos guide.

24. Drive south to Edfu and Kom Ombo

The Ptolemaic temples of Horus and Sobek, on the road to Aswan. Day tours from Luxor take about eight hours and start from about $125.

25. Reach Abu Simbel

Ramesses II's great rock temples near the Sudanese border are a 15-hour private day from Luxor, from about $194. It's long, but for many people it is the trip of a lifetime — our Abu Simbel guide explains the logistics.

Tickets and short trips on Headout

US-dollar prices come from each platform's own feed and were checked on October 21, 2026. Dates and group size change them — the booking page has the final price.

In this section

Questions travellers ask

What is Luxor best known for?

For the royal tombs and temples of ancient Thebes. The Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut and Medinet Habu are on the West Bank; Karnak and Luxor Temple, joined by the Avenue of Sphinxes, are on the East Bank. Add sunrise balloon flights over the West Bank and the Nile cruises that start or end here.

How many days do you need in Luxor?

Two full days covers the essentials — one per bank. A third day lets you add a sunrise balloon, the Valley of the Queens and Medinet Habu, or a day trip to Dendera and Abydos. With four or more days, Edfu, Kom Ombo and even Abu Simbel come within reach.

What can you do in Luxor in the evening?

Luxor Temple takes its last visitors at 7 pm and is floodlit after sunset; the Sound & Light Show at Karnak starts at 7 pm in English. The Luxor Museum and the Mummification Museum reopen at 5 pm for an evening session. Add a felucca at sunset and a walk through the souk. Our Luxor at night guide puts it in order.

Are there pyramids in Luxor?

No. Egypt's famous pyramids are at Giza, Saqqara and Dahshur near Cairo. By the New Kingdom, Theban kings were cut into rock tombs in the Valley of the Kings instead — the peak of the hills above the valley, el-Qurn, is naturally pyramid-shaped. Luxor's highlights are temples and painted tombs.

Is Luxor worth visiting from Hurghada for a day?

Yes, if you accept about four to five hours on the road each way. A day trip covers the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut and Karnak; most of this list needs at least one night. Our Hurghada guide compares the options, including two-day trips with a balloon flight.

Do I need to book Luxor attractions in advance?

Only a few. Balloon flights sell out in winter and are worth booking ahead; the Sound & Light Show is easy to book online at the official price. Temple and museum tickets are sold at the gate — more and more sites take cards only — or online on the official egymonuments.com site.

Sources and checks

  1. Egymonuments official booking — Valley of the Kings (ticket price, seasonal last entry) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  2. Egymonuments official booking — Karnak Temple (ticket price, last entry 4 pm) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  3. Egymonuments official booking — Luxor Temple (ticket price, last entry 7 pm) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  4. Egymonuments official booking — Hatshepsut Temple (ticket price) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  5. Egymonuments official booking — Medinet Habu, Ramesseum, Valley of the Queens, Carter House (ticket prices) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  6. Egymonuments official booking — Luxor Museum (ticket price, morning and evening sessions) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  7. Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities — Mummification Museum (tickets, hours) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  8. Explore Luxor — Luxor entrance fees, 2026 season (Colossi free; Tombs of the Nobles priced by cluster) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  9. Far and Beyond Travel — ticket price list (Karnak and Luxor Temple tickets include the Rams Road) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  10. Sound and Light Show (official) — Karnak show times and prices — checked 21 Oct 2026
  11. Wikipedia — Avenue of Sphinxes (2.7 km; reopened 25 November 2021) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  12. Wikipedia — Karnak (Great Hypostyle Hall, 134 columns) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  13. Wikipedia — Ramesseum (fallen colossus, Shelley's "Ozymandias") — checked 21 Oct 2026
  14. Wikipedia — Valley of the Kings (al-Qurn peak) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  15. Wikipedia — Colossi of Memnon (Amenhotep III mortuary temple) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  16. Wikivoyage — Luxor (West Bank bicycle hire, local ferry fare) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  17. Civitatis — Sunset felucca trip to Banana Island (duration, fruit plantations) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  18. MoneyExchangeRate — USD/EGP rate, 14 Oct 2026 (about 52.8 EGP per dollar) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  19. GetYourGuide — Luxor activity feed (prices, ratings, review counts) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  20. Headout — Things to do in Luxor (public catalogue) — checked 21 Oct 2026

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